Clearlake child molester sentenced to 26 years in prison

LAKEPORT -- A Clearlake man received a 26-year prison sentence Monday for sexually assaulting a girl during the course of five months beginning in December 2011.

The investigation revealed that Anthony Ellis Bugg molested his 11-year-old victim at least 30 times between January and May, deputy district attorney Edward Borg said. Investigators also discovered a film clip of Bugg assaulting the girl.

Bugg, 52, pleaded no contest to two felonies Oct. 29: committing a lewd act with a child by force or violence in December 2011 and continuous sexual abuse of a child from January to mid-May.

Judge Richard C. Martin sentenced Bugg to consecutive upper terms for the counts, finding that the crimes displayed an aggravated level of cruelty and viciousness, Borg said. Martin imposed an aggregate sentence of 26 years in state prison Monday at the Lake County Courthouse.

Investigative reports and testimony at the preliminary hearing showed that Bugg's crimes came to light after he sent an email to a suspected child molester in Nevada, bragging about his 11-year-old girlfriend but hiding behind a pseudonym, Borg said.

The Nevada man had been arrested and law enforcement was monitoring his computer accounts, unbeknown to Bugg, according to the prosecutor.

The account Bugg used to send the email was traced to a home in Clearlake, Borg said. Clearlake Police Det. Timothy Alvarado began investigating and determined Bugg lived at that residence.

Most of the assaults against the girl took place in a shed behind Bugg's home, Borg said.

Bugg will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for release. He must register as a sex offender.